The first day of high school can feel like stepping into a strange new world. For Coconino High School senior Edgar Marrufo, it really was.

Marrufo and his family moved to Flagstaff from Mexico four years ago, at the start of his freshman year. At the time, he said, he was a scared freshman cut off from many of his classmates by language and cultural barriers.

“I didn’t know English,” Marrufo said. “I had to learn English from the basics. I started taking grammar classes, classes for language learners.”

Fast-forward to today and Marrufo is a high-achieving National Honor Society member with a roughly 3.8 grade point average. He has taken a number of advanced placement courses, including AP English. He has also made a lot of friends along the way.

“Learning the language was the first thing,” Marrufo said. “Being able to communicate fully and to comprehend, that gave me confidence.”